From talking to many community groups over recent weeks I know how important messages of solidarity have been from funders, and the fact that over 70 members came along to this webinar showed the concern we know exists about the events of recent weeks and the commitment among our membership to take action.
And whilst this briefing came about because of recent events, we know we’re not starting from nothing – we’ve seen hate crime rising in recent years, with increases in racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia. Many of you have joined sessions we’ve hosted over the last year on combatting far-right rhetoric and hate, so know that too many in our communities already felt uncertain, afraid and attacked. When we talk about the racist, Islamophobic and hate filled attacks of recent weeks, what we’re talking about is a long-term issue, and as such it's something that needs sustained and collaborative action.
I’m really grateful to the speakers from Muslim Charities Forum, London Community Foundation, Praxis and London Plus who joined us yesterday to share what they’re seeing from the communities they work with and how they think funders can respond. We heard about the immediate impacts on things like safety and security, on the wellbeing of their teams, the anxiety being felt by Londoners who don’t feel safe in their homes or places of work. We heard about the impact of hostile environment policies, challenging narratives in the media, and the disinformation that has fuelled hate online. And we heard about some of the unforeseen costs facing civil society groups who are having to put in place additional security measures, strengthen their staffing and find alternative venues so they can try and continue supporting their communities.
The discussion was far richer than we can do justice to here – so I’d urge you to check out the recording of the session here if you weren’t able to join us. But a few of the things that stood out for me included: the importance of community infrastructure; support and investment in leadership; and recognising that hate is a system, but that so is love (so whether you’re funding youth work, advice services, community buildings, health and wellbeing, or any work in communities, you are part of the solution).
We also heard loudly and clearly from groups about the importance of funders acting for the long-term and acting collaboratively – reducing the pressures people are facing when they’re already dealing with so much. We discussed the importance of building solidarity, strengthening relationships and trust, as we challenge our own cultures and approaches as funders - whether that’s on reporting, on learning, or on just understanding what’s going on and what’s needed for the groups we work with.
We know from members that you’re already doing a lot – in terms of solidarity with communities, in terms of reaching out to grantees to offer extra support, and in engaging in listening and reflection moments like this. We also know, though, from our work over many years, that some of the communities most affected by racism, Islamophobia and hate are not necessarily within existing grant portfolios because of barriers that have existed to accessing funding in the past. It is critical that we continue to build engagement, reach and trust with communities.
So where do we go from here? We’re already linking up to work that is happening through other networks – and we’re proud to amplify the great work of our friends at Migration Exchange, the Social Justice Funders group, the Funders for Race Equality Alliance, and the Civic Power Fund* -you can find links to some of this ongoing work below.
We’re continuing to speak to our members and other partners to share updates and actions. If you’ve got reflections from our briefing, are ready to share with us what your plans are, or where your thinking is now, please do get in touch with me– we’ll be bringing people together again based on your reflections on how we can act together for the future, to continue to build a stronger, safer and fairer London.
*Civic Power Fund, Funders for Race Equality Alliance, Justice Together Initiative and Migration Exchange have developed four priority actions in response to the recent racist and Islamophobic violence on our streets which you can read more about here